MESSI AT 38: STILL THE SHOW, STILL FILLING STADIUMS

Lionel Messi is beyond blessed because at 38-years-old, he isn’t supposed to have this in his bag.

Not like this. Not sprinting past defenders, chipping goalkeepers, and turning random Wednesday nights in New York City into cultural events. But yet again…here we are.

Another two goals, another assist, and another stadium that sounded more like Buenos Aires than New York as Inter Miami demolished NYCFC 4–0 to clinch a MLS playoff berth.

This had little to do about the score.

Instead, it was another reminder that Messi has redefined what “late career” looks like — not fading gracefully into retirement, but actively bending a league to his will like it’s just another Champions League group stage.

THE AGING GOAT PLAYBOOK

Most athletes hit the wall long before 38. Even icons like Jordan, Serena, or Brady eventually started to look… human. Messi? He missed that memo.

Rather than fadeaway, Messi just became the first player in MLS history to record 35 goal contributions in back-to-back seasons (how’s that for dominance)

The GOAT now sits at 37 (24 goals, 13 assists), chasing Carlos Vela’s single-season record of 49 with five matches left. Eight multi-goal games. Golden Boot leader. Another MVP in sight.

Decline years? Please.

Messi has basically downloaded the cheat codes. Think less “washed veteran” and more “Messi 10.0 — now with bug fixes and a stamina patch.”

Wednesday’s match was technically played at Citi Field. …yeah right.

No one would’ve known it. More than 40,000 fans, most in pink, chanting “Messi, Messi!” like it was Boca Juniors vs. River Plate. NYCFC? They could’ve been playing in traffic cones for all anyone noticed.

That’s the Messi Effect. Wherever Inter Miami goes, the stadium becomes a pop-up World Cup final. In Seattle, fans showed up three hours early just to watch him stretch. In D.C., ticket prices spiked so high they made Commanders games look like Groupon deals.

It’s not just soccer anymore. It’s Coachella with shin guards. Inter Miami isn’t a club, it’s a world tour — and Messi is the headliner.

MIAMI, THE GLOBAL STAGE

Messi had a chance at a hat trick Wednesday. Instead, he handed the penalty to Luis Suárez. That’s like Beyoncé letting Kelly Rowland take the mic for the chorus.

Coach Javier Mascherano loved it:

 

He tried to show the team spirit, to involve all the players. That’s Messi.”

At 38, Messi is still magnetic — not just for the goals, but for the way he makes teammates better and opponents question life choices.

This isn’t just about clinching playoffs. Messi has dragged MLS from “retirement league” jokes to “main event” energy. He’s turned random midweek fixtures into cultural gatherings.

Thirty-eight years old, still the best player on the pitch most nights, still pulling bigger crowds than half the NFL, still making defenders look like they’re buffering.

For Miami, it’s another postseason run. For MLS, it’s legitimacy. For fans, it’s theater. Messi has become less an athlete and more a global export — Argentina’s greatest gift since Malbec.

THE FINAL ACT?

Maybe one day he slows down. Maybe. But right now, Messi’s “final act” looks suspiciously like the prime.

Still scoring at will, still pulling 40,000 on a rainy night in Queens, still redefining what aging in sports can look like.

Inter Miami gets another shot at the Shield. MLS gets another credibility boost. And everyone else? We just get to keep watching a 38-year-old who refuses to stop being legendary.